One thing I can boast about is that I actually lived in Sloane Street, Knightsbridge while poor Mum was working there, wrote Mrs Kathleen Skeet.

We came down to Worthing to stay with my Auntie Kath for two weeks. During that time the Second World War broke out. We stayed and were classed as evacuees and subsequently split up.

My Mother was billeted with one family at Ferring, while Pat and I were billeted with another. We shared a bed with the daughter of the house, Margaret Duke. The Duke's were a lovely family and also had a son called Alec. Every Friday night we were allowed to listen to Tommy Handley's programme I.T.M.A. (It's That Man Again) on the wireless, which was placed at the bottom of the stairs so that we could hear it in bed.

Then we moved into a bungalow next door to and owned by Benton's. It was called 'Endways' then.

It must have been unbearable for Mother separated from us.

Finally Mother found a house to rent at Homestead Cottages in Sea Lane, Ferring and we were able to live together again which pleased us all. Unfortunately the house was alive with fleas. They were everywhere, even in the many layers of wallpaper. Mother arranged for the pest controller to rid us of them.

My three brothers were conscripted to do their war service. Peter was in the RAF; Michael was in the Royal Army Service Corps; and John was directed to serve in the coalmines. The young recruited miners were known as 'Bevin Boys'. John hated it and left but was ordered to serve three years in the Army instead.

Pat and I went to the nearest Roman Catholic School, which was St Mary's in Cobden Road, Worthing, several miles away. On one occasion my classroom was machine gunned by a low flying German plane.

Our buses were always packed during the war, even relief buses, with all the troops we had in Ferring: English, Scottish, Irish, French Canadians and English Canadians.

It was not a sleepy village then.

Ferring by Sea had been such a quiet place until various troops were stationed there. We had English, Scottish, Irish and Canadian Troops. Suddenly Ferring came alive. My sister Diana married one of the French Canadians, Conrad. He saw his son Paul for the first time when Paul was three months old.

Often when we were coming home from school, air raids were taking place, and more often than not the buses were full when we left school. One day I walked on as far as Wallace Avenue. There was an Air Raid Shelter where the Bus Shelter is now. I was just a few yards away from it when German plane came over, machine-gunning everything it could. The people in the Air Raid Shelter were screaming at me to hurry up. The bullets were causing the dust to jump up all round me.

There was not a mark on me.

We were told if the Air Raid Siren sounded wherever we were we had to knock on the nearest door and ask for shelter until the All Clear sounded. If we were on a bus we had to get off. We had an Iron Shelter in our kitchen and we all had to sleep in it.

When children were being evacuated in 1940, Pat (7) and I (11) begged Mother to let us go. It was to be an adventure we thought.

My youngest sister Pat and I were evacuated from Ferring to Mansfield to an elderly retired miner, who suffered from the effect of coal dust in his lungs, and his wife. They were given no choice.

Pat's first letter home began 'Dear Mummy, I have stopped crying now.'

Mother came to stay with us for a few days and felt so sorry for Mr and Mrs Lowe that she took us home.

I have never before or since seen the grass look so green and trees with such rich colours. We were so happy to be home. Mother said if we were going to die we would all go together.

Opposite our house at Ferring was a long Avenue of Ilex trees, which, at one time, was lined on both sides with many different Army tanks. Day and night there was a fully bayoneted rifle Canadian guard marching up and down right in front of our house. Our windows had to be blacked out every night. If any light was showing it would mean a very heavy fine for Mother to pay.

Christmas night we were having a family get together and at midnight there was a heavy bang on the front door. We were terrified and were convinced it was the air raid warden to tell us we were showing a light. Instead it was the Sentry who had just finished his guard duty in thick snow. He said he could hear the laughter and could he come in to get a warm in front of our coal fire. Mum cooked him a hot meal of macaroni cheese.

By this time our estranged Dad had found out where we were and lived with us again for a while. Each day he would take a hot drink out to the sentry on duty. We made several friends and they used our address to have their parcels sent from home. Diana's husband Conrad's Mother often sent us food parcels along with things for Conrad.

It was our first ever taste of peanut butter and something in maple syrup. My sister was sent her first pair of nylons. On one occasion Conrad's Mother sent him a bottle of whisky. She packed it inside a chicken!! The chicken could be smelt from afar but the whisky was unscathed!
The Canadians put on several events for children, and boxing matches for adults. There was always free chocolate too.

Diana and Conrad divorced just after the War and Diana married again. Paul was three months old when Conrad last saw him but Paul had for years tried to find his Dad.

Fifty years later he found him after Paul's wife (second wife) Frankie contacted the Canadian Embassy. The Embassy had a notice put into the Canadian Legion Magazine to say Paul was looking for his Dad.

Conrad phoned Paul and kept the recording of their first phone call. Paul let me hear it. There were lots of tears of happiness from both sides. Conrad and his second wife Theresa have been to stay with Paul and Frankie several times since. Conrad's wife could not have children so Paul is his only child. Now Conrad has four grandchildren he never knew he had.